It's been a while...

Well looking back I see it's been about 5 months since my last blog...  a lot has happened in that 5 months for sure...  it's been quite a ride as I continue with my new "lifestyle"  I am feeling so good.  Changes are taking place in me that have totally amazed and quite honestly shocked me.  I am continuing to lose weight, but more than that I have started exercising again.  That is something I hadn't been able to do for more than a year.  It was a challenge to get started, and really pathetic actually.  I had become so weak from doing nothing for so long, that my body forgot how to react to exercise.  It really was saying NOOOO....  and I was saying YEEESSS...  and I won.  :)  I started doing push-ups because of a challenge that my son-by-heart was doing...  if he can do it, I can do it...  that was my attitude...  and I did it.  22 push-ups a day for 22 days.  And I have not stopped doing them after the 22 days.  It felt good, and there are days that I continue on to 40 push-ups.

I needed to get moving again, I needed to gain some strength back.  So, the push-ups continued, I began with 2 lb. hand weights and started doing some arm strengthening exercises...  I have moved to the 5 lb. hand weights, and am looking forward to adding more weight in a month or so.  Wow!!!  it feels so good to be moving.  I knew that I was needing to add the leg exercises in there, and found a stationary bike on the side of the road FREE and in near perfect condition and brought that home.  I was riding a couple of miles a day, and then the inevitable happened.  I fell and injured my hip about 9 weeks ago...  WHAT???  Last week I decided that I needed to give the bike another try...  so gritting the teeth and starting over, I have been able to ride 1/2 mile almost every day...  there are days that I can't stand the pain, and stay away from that corner of the living room...  So that has slowed me down on the bike,  But it is not slowing down the push-ups, weights, and now I have added some planks.  I need to move, and even though it isn't much, I am very pleased with what I can do...  after all, I am a "gray haired grammie".

So here are my newest accomplishments with this new lifestyle in numbers.  Not only have I gotten rid of my diabetic medication, but my blood pressure medication has been cut in half and maybe the next visit I can get rid of it altogether.  My cholesterol is staying at 170.  I have lost to date 53 pounds, and have had to buy new clothes for a second time. I actually weigh less now than I did when we got married.   David is not so sure about the shopping part of it, but he has been very encouraging and helpful through this whole thing.

I am feeling really good about my accomplishments.  I still have a ways to go...  and it is definitely going to be a "lifestyle" that I am planning on staying with for the rest of my earthly life.

And a great big thank you to all of you for encouraging and loving me over this past year... Especially Kristin for asking me to be involved in the RENEW-Summer Strong and FALL into Routine groups, and Sharon for being my accountability partner even though we are 1500 miles apart, and Pam with your private facebook messages of encouragement, and Alan for your messages that simply said "I love you!"  And lastly a great big thank you to the love of my life and our two precious daughters... because of you I am healthier...  you have been my life support system.  Someone to vent to, to be me with, you have loved me through a very hard and difficult time in my life...  you prayed for me, you encouraged me.  If you had not been there...  I don't think I would be here.  I love you so very much, and I am determined to be around for a very long time.  Healthier and stronger.


Philippians 4:13  "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

James 1:2-4  "2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Lifestyle change continued.... still "pumped about it"

Yes, I am still pumped about it...  not just the numbers, but that I am feeling good about it.  The food is delicious!  There are no cravings.  I eat when I'm hungry, stop when I'm full.  No counting calories, or measuring portions, or anything special to eat or drink...  just good food...  delicious food.

I am liking the numbers also.  Since October 13th, 2015 I have lost 43 pounds.  I am not measuring inches lost...  but I can tell you that I have gone from a 28 blouse size to a 22...  and a 24 jean size to a 20.  Oh yeah, that is huge for me.  I am so "pumped" about that.

Some other numbers are great, too.  My A1C is normal, no more glipizide for diabetes.  My cholesterol has gone down from 248 to 170.  My blood pressure is "perfect".

So, this lifestyle change is continuing... it is so much easier than I had anticipated.  17 more to go...  God and I have got this...

Philippians 4:13

From the beginning...

Okay, so I have updated you along the way of how things are going...  but now I feel the need to start at the beginning...  some of you have heard it all before...  but you haven't really...  this is more about how I dealt with it than what has been going on.

I started having the health concerns mid June...  I figured I was just tired and stressed.  Yeah, that was it...  but when it persisted into a couple of weeks, I was beginning to think that something was seriously wrong.  I really thought that with my gasping for air, and my breathing "hiccups", and pounding in my chest that I had something terribly wrong.  I was scared...  really scared.

You see both of my parents had lung diseases...  I had watched my mother gasp for a breath of air through the years of her illnesses...  and watched my father suffer with his treatments for lung cancer.  Both cruel diseases.

I was scared!  I wanted to be prepared for whatever was going to happen.  I called my doctor for an appointment to see him...  called my attorney and set up an appointment to make all the final arrangements so that everything would be prepared for the inevitable.

I cried, I withdrew, I was afraid....  I could do nothing, I felt useless...  I pleaded with God, I argued with God, I bargained with God...

I could do nothing...  I couldn't play with our "little men", I couldn't walk across the room...  I couldn't cook and clean up my mess in the kitchen...  I couldn't do the laundry...  I did nothing...  I WAS USELESS!!!
What could I do?  Lord, I need answers...  what is going on?

And then I started to read...  The Bible...  really read it... taking to heart everything...  the best I could...  I began to realize that God had not left me, I had been trying to do it on my own...  it was okay for me to cry out to him...  but I didn't need to be afraid because He had everything under control...  that was and is a hard one...  I wasn't useless, I just needed time to heal from whatever was going on...  bargaining with God was not going to help because He had this plan all along...  He was going to use this point in my life for good...  what was or is that good?  I still am not sure...  but I do know that slowing down, saying no, spending more time with Him...  it has been good for me...  I am learning so much...  I am taking one day at a time...  instead of rushing ahead and always being busy...

I still have not had a diagnosis from all the tests, and I am really okay with that... I have met some really nice people..   I have had opportunities to talk with people...  to pray with people...  share my faith with people... I have learned to listen...  not just to their words, but to look into their eyes and maybe see pain or worry that I could relate to...  not to understand what they are going through, or how they are feeling...  no one can do that because we aren't that person...  but to be more sensitive...  to sense the hurt they might be feeling.

My prayer life has also been affected by all this...  it's not about my desires...  but it is asking for forgiveness and seeking God's will in everything...  what a difference that has made in my life.

I am happy to write that I am feeling so much better...  but I still have a bit of a ways to go to get back to "normal", if that is possible.  :)  I can also say that through all of this, I am growing...  I have a long ways to go...  God isn't finished with me yet...  He has the master plan for my life.  I don't need to be afraid or worry...  He has this.  My life is in good hands.

Praising God!!!

Isaiah 41:10 

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Philippians 4:13 

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.